The objective of this thesis was to examine parent carers’ experiences of volunteering as experts by experience. The aim was to find out what kind of meanings the voluntary work has brought to their own lives and to see if these meanings have a connection to the recovery orientation which emphasizes hope and positive mental health. The method in this thesis was qualitative and the material was collected through thematic interviews. The interviews were conducted with five parents whose children have a mental health and/or addiction disorder. These parents volunteer as experts of experience in the mental health organization Mielenterveysomaiset Pirkanmaa – FinFami Association. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed by inductive content analysis. The most frequently mentioned meanings were collected and compared to the elements of the recovery orientation.
The results show that the most common meanings of the volunteer work were reciprocity, sharing information, decreasing stigma, positive changes in themselves and a desire to help. Overall, the parents found that volunteering had a positive impact on their lives. The results also correlated to the elements of the recovery orientation. It can be concluded that volunteering as an expert by experience may enhance the family carer’s own recovery process. Keywords expert by experience, mental health, working with carers Pages 25 pages and appendices 2 pages